Stereotype.



No. 885,948. PATENTED APR. 28, 190

M. A. MqK EE. v STEREOTYPB.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1906.

. BACKING REVERSE OVERLAY.

FLONGY FORM.

BACKING REVERSE OVERLAY.

" FLON 6 3% W MATRI x.

Q/vi $1 200% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON A. McKEE, OF WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B. COTTRELL &SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEREOTYPQEI.

invent-Lon, such as-will enable 0t ers skilled in the a rt to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to printing blocks and processes of producing them,andespe'cially t0 stereotypes. I

The invention contemplates the production of a stereotype plate in whoseprinting surface shall be inco planes of elevation an depressioncorresponding with the several tones, dark, intermediate, and light, ofthe picture or. delineation. w

The object of the inventionis. to roduce by the introduction of a newstep in the usual process such a stereo plate having its printingsurface in diiierent planes according to the various tones ofthe pictureor delineation, parts of the printing surface being raised to correspondto the darkly shaded parts of the subject to be printed and other artsof the printing surface being relatively epressed to correspond to thelightly shaded arts of the subject to be printed, and to there ydispense with the customary cut overlay on the 'plate.

impression cylinder of the printing press.

With the ordinary fiat plate having its printing surface in one planethe effect of differentiated ressure upon the various tones has beeniiither'to produced by the use of what is-known in the art as a cutoverlay.. This cut overlay is made of S11 erirnposed sheets of paper so.arranged t at its to a portion of the platen or im ression cylinder toregister during the act 0 printing with the printing surface of theplate, whereby those partsof the aper upon whlch are to appear therelative y darker ortions of the prmtare forced with relativey greaterres.- sure against the darker printing tones 0 the In the formation ofthe cut-overlay from roofs of the illustration or delineatlon the hlights are first cut out and discarded Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed December 28,1906. Serial N9. 349,821,

orated graduated It is applied Patented A 161 2a, 1908.

leaving a base sheet. Upon thebase sheet is placed the next sheet fromwhich has been cut out and discarded the high lights or lightest tonesand also the next lightest tones,

' and so on until in the last proof sheet all but the solidsor darks arecut out and discarded, so that the overlay is thickest at the solids andthinnest at the high lights and tionate 'at the intermediate tones. ThisWork is the principal part ofthe make-ready or making the press ready,and may be the whole of it in many instances.

Briefly then, the object of the invention is to do away with thiscut-overlay the use of stereotype plates by graduating the printingsurface to ut the make-ready into the surface of t e plate and to dothis by a simple and eflicient process.

In the practice of producing ining a series of tissues and backingsheets intoone body sheet. The flong in a damp state is laidupon theprinting surface of the form and beaten in, in the'usu al way to allportions-of the form below the printn g surace, being thus convertedinto a matrlx possessing the character of the face of the form, but, ofcourse, in reverse.

This matrix or mold is thenlaced in a stereo-casting box and moltenmetalis poured into the casting box and over the matrix producing a replicaor facsimile of the form. The printing surface of the plate so cast, thefamiliar stereo .type plate, is substantially level in plane,

those parts corresponding to 'the darkest,

lightest and intermediate shades of the sub-- ect having-the same level.

If the plate were printed from directly pressure would be'eXerted uponall tones of the plate with e ual force. Printing thus stereotype"plates there is made first atflong by comproporand without anyiflerentiation in the'application of the pressures wouldresult not onlyi i-defective rints, but also in'the destruction of the ace of thestereolate because while the darks or solids woul stand great pressurethe ap lication of equal pressure to the. lighter an intermediate toneswould, obviously, be destructive in view of the character of the plate,whose printing surface is made u of a multitude of points or dotsrelative y close and compact in the solids,

open or scatteredili .the high lights and roportionate in theintermediate tones. T ese results are avoided, as previously indicated,by the application of cut-overlays to the impression cylinder of theprinting press to plrloplerly distribute the ressure so that it s a begreatest upon t e solids or black.

printing parts, least upon .the high li hts, and in proportion u on theintermegiate tones. This par-t of t 1e;make-ready, or the preparation ofthe cut-overlay, even in magazine, book work, and high class printing,is a matter of much time and expense art. I not only put this make-readyinto the face of the stereotype plate itself, but I also do it by aprocess coincident with the process generally employed in the productionof the stereo-plate, so that when the plate is roduced it is ready forprinting without urther treatment and without delaying the press for thea plication of the equivalent make-ready. n advance and to be thus inreadiness, I make from proofs what I may term a reverse overlay. That isto say, instead of making this overlay with the highest arts corresonding to the darks or solids of t e plate amFthe'lowest partscorresponding to the light or' highest tones, and so on, I reverse thecharacter of the overlay, making the thickest art correspond with thehighest lights of t e pictures and the thinnest parts with the darks ofthe icture, or, briefly, I make the elevations of t is overlay tocorrezpondwith the high lights and so on interm'e lately. I- then reparethe matrix by beating in the dam ong upon the form as previouslydescribe and then apply this reverse overla to the back of the matrixwhile it is yet 111' contact with the face of the form, so that,forexample, the greatest elevations and the'greatest depressions of thereverse overlay correspond res ectively with the high lights and solidsof t e illustration or delineation on the form. The reverse overlay ispasted down firmly to the beaten in sheet and, preferably, in order thatthe complete matrix may possess the usual standard body, another backingsheet should be applied. I then have a matrix which carrles onfits backthe reverse overlay and,

in the example stated, a backing sheet over the reverse overlay. Thematrix being properly dried is ready for the,casting of the plate itbeing understood from the'previous description t at the matrix is nowthickest or deepest where the lightest tones occur upon its surface andthinnest where the darkest tones occur, so that when the stereotype lateis cast upon the matrix it shall have in its face the desired make-readywhich will be in opposition to the graduated planes of the matrix. Thematrix after passing through the customary drying operation asindicated, is then placed in the casting box, either flat or curved, andthemolten metal is poured in or forced in by the aid of a pump. Thecombined heat, weight, and impulse forces the molten metal into everydepression in the face of the matrix. The thinnest part of the matrixyields and is forced back to a seating against the rear side or bottomof the casting box while those parts of the matrix bearing the severallayers of the overlay and the elevations of the overlay, are relativelysupported during the casting rocess. The matrix is really transformed omone having elevations and depressions in its back to one havingelevations and depressions in its face, producing a corres onding cast.The resulting stereo plate w en taken out and finished in the usualmanner possesses in its printing surface depressions and elevationsaccurately predetermined and regulated by the matrix and is at the sametime even and level on the back whether a fiat or a curved;

plate. The matrix is a reverse of the form and carries a reverseoverlay. Therefore in correspondence with it, the resulting stereomatrixand itsxoverlay and will be a re lica or facsimile of he form, with theaddition of relative elevations and depressions in its printing surface.

Another mode of describing the matrix is to say that it has formed in oron its back graded elevations corresponding in order with the highlights and intermediate tones of the subject on the face of the matrix,so

plate will, of course, bea reverse of the that the resulting cast orstereotype shall have graded elevations in its printing facecorresponding with the darks or solids. and

intermediate tones of the subject the higher elevations correspondingwith'the dark tones.

And again, the fact that when the reverse overlay 1s fixed to the backof the matrix it is then the back of the matrix and substan-. tlfillyintegral with the. matrix, provides another definition in that thematrix has formed in its back graded depressions .correspondingrespectively with the darks or solids andthe intermediate tones of thesubject on the face of the matrix. It will also be observed that thematrix has a level face and a' level back and that the face is supportedby the body of the matrix at those parts which correspond to the highlights of the object on the face of the matrix, so that there aredepressions intermediate the face and back of the matrix. Of course in asubject having but two tones there would be no intermediate tones, butfor convenience I have referred in the illustration employed tosubresulting jects having more than two tones. In a plateso treated thehi h lights or those printing parts or tones w 'ch usually Wear out the-It will thus be observed that my process does'not vary from the usualprocess of producing a stereo plate excepting that at a cer tain pointin that process apply to the matrix a reverse overlay and, preferably, a

backing. In short, I place a reverse overlay within the structure of thematrix during the course of carrying out the usual process of producinga stereotype plate and thereby secure as a result a stereotype platehaving in its printing surface elevations and relative depressionscorresponding with the darks or solids and the high lights andintermediate tones of the picture or delineation to be printed. c Asimple illustration of this process and the product is given in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents the backing, thereverse overlay, the flong and the form in their relative order to carryout the process; Fig. 2 represents the flong applied to the form, thereverse overlay to the back of the matrix, and the backing to the backof the reverse overlay. Fig. 3 represents the matrix with its faceuppermost and the reverse overlay and backing applied to it, that is theoriginal and the supplemental or secondary matrix combined to form thenew matrix; Fig. 4'

represents the matrix, reverse overlay and backing combined to form anew matrix resting upon the bottom or side of a stereo casting box intowhich the metal has been poured so that the metal has run into all theincisions or indentations of the' face of the matrix and has also forcedthe matrix down into the depressions of the reverse overlay; Fig. 5represents the complete stereotype p'late'having elevations anddepressions in its printing surface corres onding with the tones of theicture or de 'neation desired,- and even and evel on its back.

I have for convenience illustrated the parts by horizontal or flatsections, such illustrations being more appropriate. also'in view of thefact that the drawingis of a diagram matic nature. I

In the accompanying drawings '1' represents a form 2 a flong; 3 areverse overlay; and 4 a backing. These are shown as before indicated inFig. 1- in their relative positions. The flong is'shown as made up oftwo tissues .and a body sheet, the tissues being indicated by thelighter lines and the body'sheet b the heavier line above. The'flong 2is p aced upon the face of the form, here shown in section, and is thenbeaten into the form resulting in the formation of a matrix 5'wh1chbears on its back, secured to it, a reverse overlay and backing, or whatmight be brieflytermed a matrix having elevations on its back. 6represents a stereo casting box and 7 represents the molten metal whichhas been run in upon the face of the matrix. 2

In the drawings, for example Fig. 4, I have illustrated the greatestelevation at 8, the next 9 and the least 10 of that part of the reverseoverlay to the left of Fig. 3. l' At 1,1 I have indicated a cut outportion which with relation to the otherarts maybe called a depression;When the molten metal is poured in u on the matrix with its attachedreverse over ay and-backing resting upon the bottom or side of thestereo casting box as illustrated in Fig. 4 the part of .the matrix atthe extreme left, forexample, will be depressed'to correspond with thesteps made y the planes 8, 9 and 10. This is shown,

for example, inFig. 5 where reference numeral 20 indicates the stereoplate t having graduated planes in its surface. At the extreme left itwill be observed that the first step 21 is' lower than the elevations 22and 23 and that it coincide s, for example, with the elevation 24.diately below the step 21', and, 'finally, the lowest step at 25corresponds with a similar step at the other end at 26. It will be ob-,served as hereinbeforeindicated that these steps of the stereo-plate 20are in reverse of the back ofthe matrix 5. The lowest parts are thedepressions 25 and 26, for instance, being formed by the settling ofmetal under pressure on each side of the elevation 8, in

graduation u Ward as indicated. It will be understood tiat all of thesedrawings are 'exaggeratedin outline and that, of course, no

stereo plate will exhibit to the eye the various tones of a picture ordelineation as illustrated for convenience in Fig. 5. 1

In this specification I have used the phrase picture or delineationas ageneric term covering any printing eflect secured by varying tones,shades or colors, For example, my invention is a plicable to theproduction of a stereotype aving varying size type faces, or light,medium'and black faced types,

and also, for example,for rounding a plate or its edge to preventblurring. In short, it is plate to propin printing.

There is then one step imme-" broadly applicable to create elevationsand trix,

I subject on the face of the matrix,

' 2. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, whichconsists in making a matrix, making a reverse overlay from proofs of thesubject to be printed, and applying it to the back of the matrix, andthen casting.

I 3. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, whichconsists in making a matrix, then applying to the back of the matrixelevations and depressions corres onding respectively to the high lightsand ark or solids of the subject upon the face of the matrix, and thencasting.

4. The herein described process of produc ing stereotypes, whichconsists in applying a flong to a form, then applying to the back of theresulting matrix'resting on the form an overlay, then removing thecombined matrix and overlay, and casting.

5. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consistsin placing a flong upon a form, beating in to form a mafixing tothe-back of the matrix resting on the form an overlay having elevationsand v depressions corresponding respectively to the high li hts and thedarks or solids of subject upon t e face of the form, placing a backingsheet over the overlay, removing the matrix, and casting. j

6. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consistsin making a matrix, forming on the back of the matrix elevationscorresponding respectively with the high lights and intermediate tonesof the and casting.

7. The herein described process of roducing stereotypes which consistsin ta ing an impression or matrix of a form, a pl in the face of a'reverse overlay to the acli of-the impression or matrix and then castingupon the face of the impression or'matrix.

' 8. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, whichconsists in making a matrix, formingin the back of the matrixdepressions corresponding respectively with the darks or solids and theintermediate tones of the subject on the face of the matrix, andcastin...v Y

' 9 T e" cess' of making a stereotype plate, whlch consists in formin amatrix withgraded elevations on its bac or aded depressionsinits back,and then owing metal upon the face of the matrix so that the metalwill-force down the body ofthe matrix until it issupported at all thedifferent levels.

a '10. The processnf making a stereotype (plate, which consistsin castinthe late'and' y thesame act altering the ace 0 the maseams then pourmgmetal upon the face of the matrix, thus carrying down the face of thematrix to transform the matrix into one having elevations anddepressions in its face and at the same time forming complementarydepressions and elevationsin the face of the cast plate.

13. The rocess of ,making a stereotype plate, whic consists in forming a.matrix with a'v yielding face that is, with a face partly supported andpartly unsupported and then castmg upon the face of the matrix to formrelative elevations and depressions in the face of the plate.

14. The ,process of making a stereotype plate, which consists in forminga matrix of varying thickness, then casting upon the face of the matrixand depressing the face at all points except the thickest. j

15. As a new article of manufacture, a matrix for casting printingblocks, having on its the tones of, the subject.

' 16.. As a new article of manufacture} backdepressions correspondingwith some of the tones of the subject.

17. Asa new article of manufacture, a maface the subject of the formfrom which it was made in reverse and on its back a reverse overlay ofthe subject. 4 1

18. As a new article of manufacture, a maing respectively to the ighlights and solids of the subject onthe face of the matrix,

19. A matrix havingaflevel face a level In testimony whereof I affix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses.

, MILTON it. MoKEE. Witnessesz.

A. R. STILLMAN, A. C. WHrrFoRD.

back elevations corresponding with some of' a matrix for castingprinting blocks, having in its trix for casting printing blocks, havingon its I back and intermediate elevations and de-' 105 trix for castingprinting blocks having on it's. j back elevations and de ressionscorrespond- I

